Improvement in switches for telegraphs



UNITED STATES'v PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES LEWIS, OF GERMAN FLATS, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN SWITCHES FOR TELEGRAPHS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.740,346, dated October20, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, JAMES LEW1s,ofMohawk, in the town of German Flats,county of Herkimer, and State of New York, have invented a newand usefulapparatus which may be used asa switch in electric telegraph-chiites inconnection with the wires of -the electric telegraph.

The use of my invention is intended to facilitate the operations oftelegraphing by enabling the operator to dispense in a great measure(though not necessarily entirely) with the use of a considerable numberof switches as ordinarily used, and to relievehim greatly from theuncertainties which attend the accidentai displacement of the ordinaryswitch.

I propose to call my invention Lewis Permutatiug-Switch fortelegraph-ofces; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of saidpermutating-switch, reference being had to the annexed drawings, makinga part of this specification, in which- Figurel is a front elevation ofthe apparatus complete. Fig. 2 'is an elevation of the upper surface ofpart 3 3 of Figrl, separated therefrom, and divested of some ofits,attachments. Fig. 3 is a section of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, exhibits parts 67 8 of Fig. l, disconnected from Fig. 2.V Fg. 5 is a diagram ofthecylindrical surface of 5, Fig. 4, with its projections.

Fig. 6 is a modication of the third section of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 exhibits alateral View of the parts projectingfrcm the cylinder 5.of Fig. 4, thesame being shown in elevation in Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an end view of thecylinder 5 of Fig. 4, with the projecting parts thereof removed. Fig. 9is a modified construction of the parts a r 'n b hg h' of Figs. l, 2, 3,and l0. Fig. l0 is a. rea-r elevation of the case with the back removed,and the parts 4t 5 6 7 8 of Fig. l disconnected, showing the relationsofthe remaining parts to each other.

Similar parts of the figures are referred to by similar letters andnumerals', so, likewise, are parts performing similar electricalfunctions identied by letters of the same name but of dierent character.

Asuitable wooden case is provided, 'asshown in the outlines of Figs. land 10, with a front plate, 1, Fig. 1, on which is marked asuitable andinstruments dial, an inclosure ot' suitable depth, a back plate, 2 2 2,Fig.v l, extending laterally' on each side of the case or inclosure andperforated with screw-holes for fastening the apparatus to a wall orother permanent support. That part of the dial which is within thelettered portion is represented as cut out, showing the parts of theapparatus within the case back of the opening thus made.

On the top and bottom of the case are represented several screw-cups..Those on the top A .B R N connect with four different telegraph-wires,radiating in different directions from the telegraph-office, for whichthe instrunow under consideration may be supposed to be adapted. Thoseon the bottom of the case are intended to connect with therelay-instrumcnt'of the office atl E and with the groundplate at G, or,if necessary, a battery may be connected with G.

j The parts visible through the dial are a baseboard, 3, which supportsthe working parts of the apparatus; a metallic plate, e, (with atriangular hole through it to permit parts bepond it to .be seem)fastened to the base-board 3 3 by two screws, theheads of which are seenin the drawings. The plate 4: supports the anterior extremity of theshaft of the cylinder or barrel 5, on which shaft as it projects throughthe dial is ixed an index, 6, which is held fast to said shaft by meansof a nut, 7, or any other suitable device. To facilitate handling thefindex 6 a crank-knob, 8, may be added. Another plate similar to esupports the posterior end of the shaft of the barrel 5 in similarmanner.

On the surface of the barrel 5 may be seen a number of projections, towhich Roman numerals I to XVIII refer, having the same signicance as inFigs. 4, 5, 6, and 8, as will be hereinafter explained.

On the upper surface of the base-board 3 3 are a number of metallicsprings, a 1 a b and hg h', oniy two of which, a and it, are visibie inFig. l, as they all lie in the same plane. (See Fig. 2.) Thesel springsare fastened to the baseboard with screws 9 9. `The ends ofthe springsnear the screws are turned upwards ataright angle, as at 12 l2, to a'ordpoints to which to fasten'a wire or strip of metal to connect theseverai springs a. i' n, Ste., with the screw-cups A RN, &c. On the lefta strip of metal is shown at ait, where it connects the spring'al withscrew-cup A. On the right the connecting-strips h* g* 11'* pass downthrough holes in the base-board3 3, (at 14 14 14, Figs. 2, 3, and 10) tothe screw-cup H G H. At the middle of the base-board 3 3 the springs a.1' 11, Sac., are bent to form a notch on the upper surface of eachspring, with an inclined plane sloping away from the notch 13 on eachside.

The projections on the surface of the barrel 5 it into the notches 13 inthe springs a. 1' 11, Src., at the point 13, and there make electricalcontact. The notches 13 serve to hold the barrel 5 from turning, eachspring a 1 11, &c.,

by its elasticity holding the notch 13 irmly to Y its correspondingprojection on the barrel 5.

The several projections on the barrel 5 may be successively brought intothe notches 13 by rotating the barrel 5 by applying the hand to thecrank-knob S.

The notches in the springs a 1' 11 b 71. g h are in a line, as shown bythe dotted lines 13 13, Figs. 2 and 3, and the line thus formed isparallel with the axis of the barrel 5 and below the barrel 5, as seenin Fig. 1 at 13.

At the ends of the springs c 1' 11', &c., are provisions for preventingthem from coming in contact with the cylindrical surface of the barrel 5when the barrel is turned so that any of the springs are not acted uponby the projec-` tions on the barrel. The end of each spring has a shortslot cut in it, as shown at 11. (Appendage of Fig.2.)V This slot 11, ismade to embrace a narrow nail, 10, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 10, made for thepurpose, which nail has a hook proj ectingon one side to catch on theupper surface of the spring. These nails are driven into the baseboard 33 far enough to confine the springs a 1' 11, &c., within proper limits,and permit the springs a 1' 11, 85o., to press with their full forceagainst theA projections on the barrel when the said projections areturned into the notches 13. The nails 10 also prevent the springs 1.111,85p., from being accidentally displaced lateral y.

The notches 13 in the springsa 1' 11, Src., in Figs. 1, 3, andv 10, arerepresented as formed iu the metal by beating between suitable dies.They may, however, be formed in a separate piece of metal, which maysubsequently be at- Vtached to the springs, as shown at 13, Fig. 9.

The springs a 1' 11, Sac., are intended to act as conductors ofelectricity, and are required to possess considerable elasticity. Theymay therefore be of brass, that being the most'cconomical material thatwill serve as a good conductor and possess the requisite stiffness.

The local order of the springs a 1' 11, te., on the dotted lines 13 13,Fig. 2, reading from front to rear, is c h 1' g 11 h b. They arearranged alternately, as shown in Fig. 2, so that one en'd of eachspring may be wide enough to let a screw through into the base-board 3 3with-y out bringing them in contact with each other, whereby insulationwould be destroyed.

Part 5, Figs. 1 and 4, is a cylinder of wood or other suitablenon-conductor of electricity, having suicient firmness of structure toinsure its durability. This cylinder has a number of slots or channelscut in its surface, of equal depth and at equal distances apart,parallel with each other and the axis ot' the cylinder, for thereception of several pieces of brass or other suitable metal ofthe formsshown at 15 16 17 18 19 20 in Figs. 5 and 7. The unshaded parts in Fig.5 correspond to the projections on the barrel 5, Fig. 4, and to theprojections on the right of the several parts 15 16 17 18 19 20 in Figs.7, and are. contact-surfaces.

The pieces of metal that project from t-he surface of the barrel 5 inFigs. l and 4 are intended to serve as connecting-bars between two ormoreof the springs a 1' 11, Src. A portion of one side of each (betweenthe ends) is cut ont, so that no contacts will be made by theconnecting-bar other than those intended.

It is not important that all the connectingbars have a portion of oneside cut out. Those which are designed to make contact with twocontiguous springs', as a and l1', Fig. 2, may be of the form of thepart 15', Fig. 7.

The arrangement of most of the connectingbars 15 to 20 in the barrel 5is of the simple character shown iu the first two sections of Fig. 5 1'.6.cnd to end in the slot provided for them. Instances are presented atXV and XVII, Fig. 5, where the connecting-bars lap by each other. Inthose instances the slots in the barrel 5 will have to be suitablyenlarged, the bars so bent -that when a strip of suitable insulatinglnatetial is placed between them and they are fastened in the barreltheir several projections will 'be in lline with each other and parallelwith the axis of the barrel 5. (See as illustrations XV and XVII, Figs.4 and 5, andXIlI and XIV, Fig. 6.) The projections on the surface of thebarrel 5 being brought into contact with the sprin gs a 1' 11, 8vo., byrotating the barrel 5, the friction between the surfaces thus brought incontact tends to keep them bright, so as to perfect electrical connection at each The several connecting-bars or projections may besecured iu their places in the barrel 5 by means of any suitablecements, or by means of wedges or pins. v

The several screw-cups on the top and bottom of the case that inclosesthe apparatus are connected with theseveral springs a 1' 11, te., withinthe case, as shown in Fig. 10, by the parts a* 1'* 11* b* above, andparts h* g* h*, below the base-board 3, letters of the same namereferringto parts connected continuously.

Instruments of the character here shown will be unlike each other in thefollowing several particulars: in the number of thc springs a 1' 11,te., which will be determined by the number of wires and instruments ofa telegraphoice connected therewith; in the size of the barrel 5, and inthe number and arrangement of its .projecting parts, Which'will .bedetermined by the number of wires (or springs` a i' n, &c.) used, andthe number and variety ot changes to bemade thereon. These conditionswill in all cases determine the construction of an instrument and itsvariations from the apparatus used in illustration.

There are numerous circumstancesinV which it might be supposed to benecessary or de- 'sirable to use one or more ordinary switches inconnection with this apparatus. As some or most ofthe instances willsuggest themselves, it is unnecessary to particularize. Circumstancescan also be conceived under which it .might be desirable to combine twoor more instrumen'ts as one for the purpose of securing a greater numberof changes than could readily be made in one instrument. The equivalentof 'this may be suggested-i. e., the construcl tion of an apparatus withtwo or more sets of springs, ar n, &c., and two or more barrels, 5,combined as one instrument, and inclosed in one case, with suitabledials, &c.

For the purpose of enablin g particular lines to vwork continuouslythrough the apparatus-as,

for instance, from A to B, on the instrument-.- the two springs a and bmay be electrically connected with each other by means of a har ot'metal that-will make contact with those springs at the end near thehook-headed nail l0, when the springs are not pressed down by theprojections on the barrel 5. This, however, is merely anaccessory partwhich may or may not be used, and does not affect the value of the partswhich constitute the prominent features of this invention. Again, thebar of metal which is proposed to be used to connect two springs, asabove, may be in two parts, each of which may connect with the ends ofthe helix' of a sounder or relay, so that the operator may at all timesbe signalled.

As the conditions under which this .permutating-'switch is to beoperated must determine the number and arrangement of some of its parts,conditions will now be suggested according to which the specialapparatus hercwith ,presented to illustrate the construction andoperation of this invention has been conl structed,from which theconstruction required by other conditions may be inferred andunderstood.

Letit be supposed that the apparatus illustrating this-invention hadbeen constructed to 'answer the following conditions, viz., to belocated in a telegraphbice at Herkimer, where, kcondition 1, it is towork in connection with the cnice-relay, and,condition 2, be alsoconnected with a ground-plate; condition 3, to be connected withtelegraph-wires from the following places, viz., iirst, Albany, secondBuffalo, third Richfield, fourth Newport; condition 4, that it shall beable to make the fol-` lowing separate connections through theoicerelay, viz., first, Albany and Buii'alo, second Albany andRichfield, thirdV Albany and Newport, fourth Buffalo and Newport, iifthBuffalo and Richfield; condition 5, to make the same connections andleave out the relay; condition 6, to connect Herkimer alone with eachoi' the above-named places or lines sin gly; condition 7, to work allthe lines at once: thus, to connect,1irst, Albany and Buffalo, at thesame time Bichtield and Newport; second, Albany and 'Richeld, at thesame time Buti'alo and Newport; third, Albany andA Newport, at the sametime Buffalo and Itichtield; fourth, Albany, Herkimer, and Buitalo, atthe same time Richiield and Newport.

The iirst condition is established by the screw-cups H H', connectedwith thev two endsofthe wire of the oiiice-relay helix. The seccondcondition connects ground -plate with screw-cup G. The third conditionconnects screw-cups A with Albany, B with Buffalo, R with Bichiield,andrN with Newport. The fourth condition is vshown to he complied withiu the first section of the diagram, Fig. 5', and by reference from thatto Figs. and l. Similar references to Figs. l and t follow the remainingconditions. The fifth condition is complied with in the second sectionof Fig. 5. The sixth condition is complied with in the third section otFig. 5. The seventh condition is complied with in the fourth section ofFig. 5. This will be more decidedly apparent when the letters on thedial and screw-cups are regarded as initials of the several placesnamed, and the same significance is attached to letters of the.Y

same name on Figs. 2 and 5. Their relations are such as are hereindicated.

Operati'ouzAThe diagram Fig. 5 is the key to the operation olthe-instrument; and in constructing an apparatus of similar character,but to operate under different conditions, a similar but somewhat diiierentdiagram would be required as a chart of the barrel 5. Let it besupposed that the apparatus is set up at Herkimer, and thatitis' inworking order, and' that the operator wishes to communicate with Albanywithout interruption, he turns the index on the dialto the center ot'the division marked A H. This is the eleventh division on the dial,'andrefers to the corresponding part of diagram Fig. 5, where it will beseen thataconnecting-bar connects a, Albany, withv h, one endot' thehelix-wire of the cnice-relay.

VAnother connecting-bar connects It', the other end ot' the helix-wireof the office-relay, with g, the ground-plate. On the instrument itwould be seen that a short connecting-bar made contact with springsa andh, and that' another connecting bar made contact with springs h and g,the explanation of which is, that when the circuit is closed under theseconditions the battery-current passes through the spring a; thencethrough a connecting-bar to the spring h; thence through the relay bachto spring h; thence through a connecting-bar to the spring g to theground,the rest ot' the circuit being through the earth tothe battery atAlbany. This explanation of one instance in a .aegee which the apparatusis used readily suggests the explanations which any other changes ontheinstrument would require.

One ligure of the annexed drawings remains unexplained, and it has beenreserved to be presented here.

Fig. 6 is a modification of the third section oi' Fig. 5. It will beobserved in the third section of Fig. 5 that two of the connecting-barsconvey a current, say, from h to g, while other two convey a currentfrom h to g. Allowing g to be practically theA negative pole of abattery, the current passes through the relay atXI and XII in a contrarydirection from what it does at XIII and XIV` If it be desirable to havethe current of. electricity pass through the relay or sounder. attached.to the screwcups H 1H always in one direction, (supposing g to bealways negative, which, however, may not be invariably the case,) XIIIand XIVin Fig. 5 may be arranged as shown in Fig. 6, where all theconnections of g are with h.

1t may now be apparent that the several springs a r n, 8vo.,y asarranged in this apparatus, are practically so manyterminations ofelectrical conductors and that the several bars (Ito XVIII, or 15 16 171819 20) serve to form connections between said springs; and that thesaid bars, being variously and suitably arranged on the surface of acylinder, 5, may be made to make any desired connections between two ormore of said springs, as may have been previously provided for; and thatany of the connections provided for in the cylinder or barrel 5 and itsconnecting-bars I to XVIII, and their adaptations to the springs a r. n,&c., may be readily made simply by turning said barrel by means of acrank or index provided for that purpose, a suitable dial on the frontof the case inclosing the apparatus serving to determinato what pointthe crank or index shall be turned in order to effect any desiredconnection. It may also be apparent that if' such an apparatus beadapted to the eondit tionsof, and properly connected with the wires andapparatus of, an electric telegraph, it may be made to answer thepurpose of a large number of switches, (as ordinarily constructed andused,) this being the designed object, purpose, and use of thisinvention.

I claim- 1. Thebarrel or cylinder 5, Figs. 1, 4, and 8, and itsconnecting-bars I to XVIII, (as many as may be necessary,) or theircombined equivaient, when arranged to operate against springs a r n,Src., or their equivalents, substantially in the manner and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The springs a, r u, dto., Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 10, or theirequivalents, (as many as may be necessary,) when arranged to act againsta barrel, 5, and its connecting-bars I to XVIII, or their combinedequivalents, substantially in the mannerand for the purpose hercinbeforeset forth.

3. The alternate arrangement of the springs a h r g n h b as shown inFig. 2, when used for the purpose substantially as set forth.

4. The notches 1.3, with the inclined surfaces each side thereof on thesprings a r n Sw., Figs. 1, 2, 3, 9, and 10, when arrange and usedsubstantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

5. The mode described of limiting the upward movement and of preventingthe lateral movement of the springs a i n, &c., by means of the slot 11in tho end of each spring and the hook-headed nail 10, in connectiontherewith, or their equivalent, when used substantially in the mannerand for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination and use of (tirst) the barrel 5 and itsconnecting-hars I to XVIII,i

or their combined equivalent, with (second) the springs a r n, ne., ortheir equivalents, for the purpose substantially as set forth, togetherwith (third) a suitable dial and index for making said barrel,connecting-bars, and springs, or their combined equivalent, practicallyavailable for the purpose set forth.v

JAMES LEWIS. In presence of S. E. COE, J oNAs SCHELL.

